A delegation of residents from the Iuzzolino Park neighborhood came to City Council Monday and demanded that the city do something about problems they’re having with youths routinely misbehaving at the park.

Between 10 and 30 kids between the ages of 10 and 18 have been fighting, vandalizing property, making noise, hanging around after the park closes and generally “creating concerns for the safety of children, families and nearby residents,” the neighbors said.

Police Chief Derek Swope said his department has been working for months to try to correct the problems, but that those efforts need to be reevaluated so they can become more effective.

“We understand the importance of public parks, but residents should not have to live with repeated safety concerns,” stated Mary Ann Hughey, one of three neighbors who spoke, reading from a script. “If the city cannot effectively control these issues through the requested actions, we ask that the city close or restrict access to the park.”

There is a recurring “fight club”; at least five small children have been “jumped”; a bush has been set on fire; an elderly woman hit; mace has been sprayed in the face of a woman carrying a child; and kids have given adults the finger, told them to “f— off,” called them names and threatened to give them a “beat-down,” according to the statement. Youths have also gotten up on neighbors’ roofs and porches and gone into their yards, they’ve hidden backpacks on porches when chased by police and they’ve come in groups asking to “pee” at local houses, creating fear, according to the statement. There’s also been weed-smoking and a drug deal, according to the statement.

On June 2, a group jumped two kids and fought with 10 adults, after which police told neighbors, “They are just kids playing at the park,” according to the statement. Police also told the neighbors that they’d been instructed by supervisors “not to do anything,” according to the statement.

The statement that police have been told not to do anything is “concerning,” Swope said.

He’ll try to discover whether that indicates some kind of “disconnect,” he said.

His directive had been to have zero tolerance for crime, he stated.

Police became aware of the issues at the park about the end of February, Swope said, since which there has been a large-scale department investigation, with several detectives assigned.

Police have obtained video evidence produced by the perpetrators themselves on cell phones, which have been the subject of search warrants, as have houses of alleged perpetrators, he said.

There have been several arrests, he said.

There are currently several charges ready to file, including aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, rioting and disorderly conduct, he said.

There have been prearranged, organized bare-knuckle fist fights between willing participants, including those between the ages of 12 and 14, and that have also been attacks by groups on unwilling victims, according to Swope.

Several juveniles have been injured, he said.

Some troublemakers are from the neighborhood and some are not, he said.

“I’m not sure what the attraction is,” the chief said.

Because of the issues at the park, Debbie Iuzzolino, daughter of the late George Iuzzolino, who worked to establish the small park in the middle of the 2500 block of Maple Avenue, and for whom the park is named, asked the city to remove the Iuzzolino name from the facility, via a letter submitted by the neighbors.

The situation at the park is “definitely out of hand,” said City Councilman Dave Butterbaugh.

In the old days, there was punishment for minors, but nowadays, “the legal system gives young people an absolute free pass,” Butterbaugh said.

“(K)ids do not fear the police, and that needs to change,” Hughey said.

Council will work with police to increase patrols, said Councilman Dave Ellis, a former city police officer.

“We will get it corrected,” said Councilman Jesse Ickes.

The problem is not limited to Iuzzolino, and it won’t be fixed overnight, Swope said.

“But it will be addressed,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.